“Somebody Ought to Do Something About It!”
THE man was obviously well educated, articulate and widely respected. He was a business executive and a family man. But he was on trial for organizing an antigovernment group dedicated to arson and assassination. Why? In essence, his answer was: “We had to do something. We had to act!”
Many are becoming frustrated at the problems they see around them and feel that “somebody ought to do something.” They worry about widespread poverty and hunger; about governmental corruption; about the poisoning by industrial pollution of the air they breathe and the water they drink; about the crime explosion; about falling living standards and rising inflation; about the vast sums of money spent on armaments.
Yes, this is an imperfect world, and many things should be changed. Yet nobody seems able to make the changes. This causes some to become cynical or apathetic. Others “drop out,” becoming hippies or turning to drugs. Some try to “get involved,” busying themselves with politics or charitable works. All too often, frustrations explode in demonstrations, riots, revolutions or in terrorist acts like the ones mentioned above.
Sadly, it has to be admitted that none of these reactions seem to make much difference in the long run. Revolutions and reforms have made temporary changes in some countries; but, overall, things seem to move relentlessly in the same direction. Corruption and dishonesty are still with us, as are inflation, armament spending, industrial pollution, poverty and a host of other ills.
There is, however, another way to react to this situation, a way that is realistic and practical, that in the long run will make a difference. It was the approach of a man possessed of a quality that is increasingly rare in the world today. The man was Jesus Christ, and the quality, an absolute trust in God.
Jesus’ Approach
Many of today’s problems already existed in Jesus’ day, and he was evidently well aware of them. In his parables he showed that he knew how difficult it was for a poor person to get justice and how degraded the situation of a beggar could become. (Luke 18:2-5; 16:20, 21) He was often “moved with pity” at the situation of the common people, while time and again he experienced the oppressiveness and bigotry of the rulers of his day.
How did he react? He certainly did not become cynical or “drop out,” turning his back on the whole sorry situation. Neither did he become violent or revolutionary. Once a large crowd tried to make him their king, but Jesus would not go along with them.—John 6:14, 15.
No, Jesus’ trust was in God. He knew that political changes, however well intentioned, could not effectively solve all the problems of the people, since the underlying cause of those problems was beyond the scope of political action. Even when threatened with death, he did not call on his followers to rise up and rescue him. Rather, he left himself trustingly in his Father’s hands, saying: “Let, not my will, but yours take place.”—Luke 22:42.
Jesus told people about God’s kingdom and proclaimed this as the solution to their problems. Not that he refused physical help to those in need. Many times he healed people of sicknesses that had forced them into poverty. On two occasions he showed human kindness by feeding large crowds. (Mark 10:46-52; 6:35-44; 8:1-9) But the main thrust of his work was preaching about God’s kingdom. The record tells us: “Then he went around throughout the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom.”—Matt. 4:23.
What He Accomplished
What good did this do? It contributed to a permanent solution to mankind’s ills. Jesus was aware of obstacles that limit the extent to which mankind can improve its own situation in this system of things. His whole life course demonstrated a complete trust that God, in his own time and way, would remove those obstacles. What are the obstacles?
One is human imperfection and sinfulness. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) As long as this is true, men will always experience sin, death, friction among themselves and alienation from God. Another obstacle is the activity of Satan and his demons. Most underestimate the effect of Satan on human affairs, and some question his very existence. But Jesus called him “the ruler of the world.” (John 14:30) As long as man remains imperfect and under the influence of Satan, human society will continue to be riddled with selfishness and other bad attitudes. Wrong practices have become so entrenched that, however sincere a world leader might be, there is little he can do to change things at this late date.
Hence, Jesus preached about God’s kingdom, because only under that kingdom can truly beneficial changes be made. God promised that “he is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.” (Ps. 46:9) In this present world, such a hope is unthinkable, but under God’s kingdom it will happen. This kingdom will be sustained “by means of justice and by means of righteousness.” (Isa. 9:7) Only under such a system could governmental corruption be rooted out. And only by this kingdom will God “wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—Rev. 21:4.
Preaching such a message meant that Jesus had absolute faith in God. Why? Well, “faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for.” (Heb. 11:1) Jesus was talking about something that would happen in the future. He had to show implicit trust in God, that he would fulfill his promises. It meant that Jesus had to sacrifice the possible benefits of the world he lived in and endure hatred and ridicule from nonbelievers. It also meant that he had to be prepared to die a sacrificial death, since it was by his death that God would bring the power of Satan the Devil to nothing and also redeem mankind from its sinful state.—John 1:29; Heb. 2:14.
Jesus had that trust. He knew that God was “the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Heb. 11:6) And his trust was vindicated, because, as hundreds of witnesses testified, after his death he was raised again to life. Now he is the ruling king of the Kingdom about which he preached.—Rev. 11:15.
A Practical Approach
Jesus’ approach was practical because it was based on trust in God to provide a successful and permanent solution to the host of problems besetting mankind. Does such an approach work today?
Yes, it does. Many who have tried other ways have come to this as the only practical course of action. For example, one young man was very active as a leader of student demonstrations. Disillusioned by the corruption he saw in that activity, he resorted to drugs. Finally, he heard the “good news of the kingdom” and realized that here was the answer. Now he devotes his life to telling people about the same kingdom that Jesus proclaimed.—Matt. 24:14.
Like Jesus, true Christians do good to their neighbors whenever they can. They demonstrate their trust in God by striving to apply Bible principles in their day-to-day lives. When they meet with problems, they look to the Bible for God-given guidance. They trust that, in this uncertain world, their heavenly Father watches over them. Time and again Christians have experienced the truth of Jesus’ promise: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.”—Matt. 6:33.
They honestly believe that soon now God will bring an end to the confusion and suffering in this world, doing so by means of his kingdom. Confidently, they pray, “Let your kingdom come,” and this trust gives them “the peace of God that excels all thought.” Like Jesus, they even sacrifice some of the temporary benefits of this world rather than compromise their hope of an inheritance under that kingdom.—Matt. 6:10; Phil. 4:7.
No, genuine Christians do not react violently to the injustices they see in the world. They do not say in frustration: “Somebody ought to do something about it.” They know that Somebody already is doing something about it. And they know that, according to all the evidence, that One’s purposes will soon be triumphantly accomplished.